Apple’s next major mobile software update, iOS 8.1, is currently on its way to the end user. We’re already a couple of betas in, and with a special event now confirmed for next week, it may be just days away. Of all the features that the Cupertino company will be bundling into the new version, including Apple Pay, iOS 8.1 will also be plugging a loophole that allows emulators like GBA4iOS to run, but in a true sense of getting in before the lock, the authors of said emulator will still be pushing some new features before Apple spoils the party.

GBA4iOS version 2.1 is imminent, and includes some notable features including multiplayer support, so if you’re intent on sticking with iOS 8.0.x for the sole purpose of playing old games, then the GBA4iOS team will be making it worth your while.

The way the emulator installs is quite simple. A user is required to perform a date trick that entails manually altering a device’s date to some point in the past. From there, the likes of GBA4iOS can work their magic, and gaming fans are then able to roll back the clock in a figurative sense by playing the likes of Super Mario on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

GBA4iOS isn’t the only outcast service to have found a way into Apple’s platform. Earlier this week, we saw how the SNES emulator SiOS exploited the very same loophole, and even MovieBox and Popcorn Time, the so-called "Netfix of Torrents" can be installed using a variant of this hack.

One might forgive the GBA4iOS team for giving up completely, but in defiant fashion, multiplayer support will soon be a part of the emulator’s repertoire. There’ll also be proper support for the new iPhones, color palettes for Game Boy games, and although the developers wouldn’t ideally want to rush such an expansive array of features, the ominous figure of iOS 8.1 has meant that needs must.

Beyond iOS 8.1, the emulator will find something of a haven in Cydia for jailbreakers, and with the source code also being released, registered developers will also be able to distribute it to their devices looking ahead.